Carl Frampton has lauded Anthony Joshua for the devastating right-handed hook that knocked Francis Ngannou out on Friday night and believes it may have scared heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
It was only the second time the former UFC heavyweight champion had stepped into the ring for a professional boxing bout, after startling Tyson Fury back in October.
But he was outclassed by the British fighter, who knocked him to the canvas three times in the first two rounds before claiming the win with a brutal punch.
Joshua will now look to set up a bout against Fury, who is due to take on the Ukrainian in a battle to become undisupted champion, but former boxer Frampton believes the British fighter’s display on Friday will have shocked the some in the heavyweight division.
‘Even Usyk who beat AJ twice is looking at that and saying, “f*** me,”‘ Frampton, who held world championships across two weight classes, wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Anthony Joshua produced a stunning knockout victory against Francis Ngannou within two rounds
Carl Frampton took to social media to laud Joshua for his brutal knockout punch on Ngannou
He claimed heavyweight champion, Usyk, who beat Joshua twice, would be shaken watching that punch back
He wasn’t the only one lauding the 34-year-old’s power, though, with fans on social media noticing Joshua had been practicing the same punch that knocked Ngannou out during his warm up.
‘I didn’t see that coming. Exactly what he showed in the dressing room. Congrats AJ! Too easy!’
‘AJ was practicing that exact shot time and time again in the dressing room. Game plan played to perfection’ another wrote.
Fury, meanwhile, looked shell-shocked after Joshua delivered his knockout blow.
The WBC heavyweight champion has been embroiled in a war of words with Ngannou this week, following a heated press conference that saw the former UFC heavyweight champion tell Fury that ‘boxing was protecting him’.
‘Respect the fact that boxings protecting you us and the rules of Boston is protecting us, because without that, we are nothing front of me,’ he said, evoking a heated response from Fury.
But Fury cut a solemn figure after Joshua devastatingly knocked Ngannou to the canvas, before the British fighter claimed he should be WBC Champion instead of the Gypsy King.
Frampton wrote: ”Even Usyk who beat AJ twice is looking at that and saying, “f*** me,”‘
The Gypsy King looked deep in thought as he watched what just happened inside the ring
Joshua said: ‘Francis Ngannou beat the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. I should be WBC heavyweight champion of the world right now! He’s a great fighter’.
Fury, meanwhile, lauded his compatriot for the sensational victory, with Ngannou seeming to stay on the floor for a short while with doctors arriving in the ring to offer treatment.
Speaking after the knockout, Fury gave credited Joshua, saying: ‘I had a s*** performance against Ngannou. AJ did absolutely fantastic and lit him up with a right hand.’
Could Joshua now have a shot to win his belts back? Much speculation has revolved around who he could fight next – with Fury now being heavily touted to take on Joshua in the ring.
That could depend on whether he can beat Usyk in May, with the Gypsy King set to challenge to become undisputed champion, who took AJ’s belts after beating the former IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO champion in 2021 and again in 2022.
Despite that, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn hinted that Fury was next on his list.
Anthony Joshua has claimed that he ‘should be the WBC heavyweight champion of the world’
Joshua said: ‘Francis Ngannou beat the WBC heavyweight champion of the world. I should be WBC heavyweight champion’
‘I’m so proud of him because there was a huge amount of pressure.’ Hearn said on DAZN.
‘If we won this fight then he would fight the winner of Fury v Usyk. You’re looking at the number one heavyweight in the world.
‘Tyson Fury please beat Usyk because you will get the biggest fight in the history of the sport. As a fighter, he’s an inspiration to young people.
‘What I said would happen, happened. He destroyed Francis Ngannou. He’s a beast and I cannot wait for him to beat Tyson Fury.’